Toot Whistle Plunk and Boom (1953)

A crash course on the history of Western musical instruments.

Directors:

Ward Kimball, Charles A. Nichols

Writer:

Dick Huemer (story)

Stars:

Loulie Jean Norman, Charlie Parlato, Thurl Ravenscroft

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win.

Cast

Uncredited cast:
Loulie Jean Norman	...	Penelope Pinfeather (voice) (uncredited)
Charlie Parlato	...	Chorus (voice) (uncredited)
Thurl Ravenscroft	...	The Mellomen, singing group (voice) (uncredited)
Bill Thompson	...	Professor Owl / Bertie Birdbrain (voice) (uncredited)
Gloria Wood	...	Susy Sparrow (voice) (uncredited)

Storyline

In this short subject (which mostly represents a departure from Disney's traditional approach to animation), a stuffy owl teacher lectures his feathered flock on the origins of Western musical instruments. Starting with cavepeople, whose crude implements could only "toot, whistle, plunk and boom," the owl explains how these beginnings led to the development of the four basic types of Western musical instruments: brass, woodwinds, strings, and percussion.

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Plot Keywords:

musical instrument | owl | teacher | caveman | anthropomorphism | 

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Genres:

Animation | Short | Comedy | Family | Music

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 November 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Adventures in Music: Toot Whistle Plunk and Boom

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

10 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shown as an accompanying short subject along with the 1963 re-release of Fantasia.

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Quotes

Owl: Today we're going to study about...
Boy bird: [looking at a comic book] Ancient history?
Susy Sparrow: Love and mystery?
Penelope Pinfeather: [writing on the blackboard] Mathematics?
Twin brothers: [balancing other students on their heads] Acrobatics?
Students: Readin', spellin'...
Bertie Birdbrain: Storytellin'?
Owl: No, no, no!
[bops Bertie on the head]
Owl: The study of musical instruments is the subject for today.
[...]

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Connections

Featured in The Disney Family Album: Ward Kimball (1984)

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Soundtracks

"A Toot And A Whistle And A Plunk And A Boom"
Written by Sonny Burke & Jack Elliott

User Reviews

A unique Disney short that teaches and entertains

Oddly enough I was introduced to Toot Whistle Plunk and Boom as well as Melody through the Disney Sing-a-long-songs series.(that's true of a fair few Disney films and shorts actually) It's been one of my favourites ever since. The animation is done in a very interesting style and looks good. It may look limited to some, but I for one was taken by the colourful abstract look of it, and visuals-wise it does stand out among the rest of the Disney shorts. Toot Whistle Plunk and Boom is also jam-packed with gags, which do brilliantly with teaching us things about music while also entertaining us. The plunk section is and always has been my personal favourite. The simple story has relentless energy, not once did or do I feel bored watching. The music is outstanding, it is catchy and fit perfectly with each gag, the way the harmonies blended was also remarkable and I never tire of the resonant bass voice of Thurl Ravenscroft. The characters are colourful and amusing, and the vocal talents of Bill Thompson are splendidly utilised. Thompson sounds as though he loves what his owl character is teaching and his voice is full of exuberance. All in all, a unique short that is perfect for kids and adults regardless of how knowledgeable they are or not of music. 10/10 Bethany Cox